Awards and Commissions
| May, 2024: Start’s “Nostalgia” is selected for She Scores! 2024, Cleveland, OH
March, 2024: Start’s “Conclusions” is selected as one of the 8 quartets for Music Madness, Raleigh and Durham, NC April 2023: Commission for a new work to be premiered by the Western Michigan University Trombone Choir in their 2023-24 season. February 2022: Sphinx Laureate and cellist Thomas Mesa’s CD, DIVISION OF MEMORY, on which he plays Start’s “Echoes in Life”, won a bronze medal in the Global Music Awards in the category of “classical.” http://www.globalmusicawards.com/ November 2017: Commission from the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra for a work to be premiered during their 100th anniversary season. 2016: Commission from Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp “Chamber Music for Fun” program for a string orchestra piece in memory of the program’s founder, Phyllis Jansma |
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 Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to attend the Assisi (Italy) Sacred Music Festival and perform a concert in Italy in July, perform a home-coming concert in Kalamazoo in August, and compose two new works for flute and cello: one in anticipation of the trip which is then premiered in Italy, and one as a reflection on the trip, which is then premiered in Kalamazoo. |
2013 |
| Commission from Shawna Lake of Oboe Chicago for a work for 2 oboes, piano, and cello obbligato | 2011 |
Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to attend Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute, write a viol consort piece and a work for bass viola da gamba and keyboard, perform and record the works. |
2011 |
Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant through the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo to cover commission fees and expenses to create a work for the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra and a concerto for Italian mandolin virtuoso Carlo Aonzo |
2009 |
| Commission for offertory work (2 vln, vc, cb) from First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo | 2009 |
| Commission from CUBE ensemble to create new work for performance on “Sounding the Sacred” concerts in fall of 2009 in Chicago and on the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music | 2008 |
| Commission for the Rose-Austin duo | 2008 |
| Commission from Chamber Music for Fun for string quartet/orchestra piece with multi-level parts | 2006 |
| Commission from Trio Dagoba for a string trio | 2006 |
| Commission from Capriccio for duo using flute/piccolo and harp/electric harp | 2006 |
| Commission of work for electric cello and acoustic instruments, by Don McQuitty, in honor of Sylvia Culp | 2004 |
| Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo Arts Outreach Grant | 2004 |
| Gilmore Emerging Artist Grant | 2003 |
| Commission for cello and piano work for Don McQuitty and Sylvia Culp | 2003 |
| Commission for new work for Pinotage Ensemble (Chicago) | 2003 |
| Orchestral work for Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra | 2003 |
| Commission from CUBE Contemporary Ensemble (Chicago) | 2003 |
| Creative Artist Grant from ArtServe Michigan | 2002 |
| Solo piano work for Kalamazoo College | 2001 |
| Honorable Mention, National Call for Scores, Chicago Musicians Club of Women | 2001 |
| Cello Ensemble piece for Rockford College Music Academy | 2000 |
| Chamber work for the Ariel Ensemble | 2000 |
| Orchestral work for the McHenry County Youth Orchestras | 1999 |
| Solo cello work for Marc Johnson, of the Vermeer Quartet | 1997 |
| Solo cello work for Carol Tarr | 1994 |
| Choral work and organ solos for First Baptist Church, Kalamazoo, MI | 1994 |
| Judge, Kalamazoo Bach Festival Young Artist Competition | 1993 |
| Cello Quartet commission for the Chicago Cello Society | 1993 |
| Brass Quintet commission from Alaskan Arts Council | 1993 |
| Oboe solo commission for Shawna Lake | 1993 |
| New Music Chicago Festival (appeared as composer and performer) | 1988, 1992 |
| Bowling Green New Music and Art Festival (composer and performer) | 1992 |
| June in Buffalo Festival | 1992 |
| Brass Fanfare commissioned by the National Junior Tennis Championships | 1992 |
| Duo commission for Caroline Pittman and Jeffrey Kust | 1991 |
| Fanfare commission for University of Chicago Orchestra | 1991 |
| Cello Sonata commission for Michael Masters | 1990 |
| Teacher – Composer Alliance of Chicago Area ASTA commissions | 1988, 1989 |
| Soundtrack for Northern Illinois University Art/Photo Department video | 1984 |